Jersey City career criminal surrenders to face charges in stray-bullet shooting

A career criminal wanted in Sunday’s stray-bullet shooting of a Jersey City woman surrendered to police yesterday and his bail was set at $500,000 cash-only, authorities said.

Joey Richberg, 43, of the 100 block of Old Bergen Road and a neighbor of the victim, is charged in the criminal complaint with aggravated assault and weapons offenses, including possession of a firearm by a felon. Authorities say he fired the shot that struck a 26-year-old woman watching television in her Old Bergen Road home Sunday afternoon.

Richberg, accompanied by attorney Dennis McAlevy, made his first court appearance in Central Judicial Processing court in Jersey City yesterday afternoon wearing a white thermal shirt, gray sweatpants and sneakers.

A second man, described as a person of interest in the investigation, is still being sought, police said.

Police say gunfire erupted in a shootout between a man in a vehicle and a man on the street, and neither was injured in the exchange that resulted in a bullet shattering a window in the woman’s ground-floor apartment and striking her in the stomach, police said.

The victim was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center and into emergency surgery, police said. Police Chief Tom Comey said earlier this week that she is expected to recover. A spokesman for the Medical Center said yesterday that the victim remains at the hospital, is in stable condition and does not want to speak to the media.

Police Capt. Mike Kelly said Richberg, aware he was the object of the manhunt, contacted McAlevy and agreed to surrender just before 8 a.m. yesterday.

It was revealed at Richberg’s hearing yesterday that he has prior convictions for criminal sexual contact, eluding police, drug distribution and conspiracy to distribute drugs. He also has four convictions for drug possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of school property, court officials said, adding that he has been arrested 19 times.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor John Wojtal asked for a bail exceeding the guidelines based on Richberg’s extensive record. McAlevy said he will likely seek to have his client’s bail reduced in Superior Court next week.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Jersey City police tip line at (201) 547-JAIL.